The Curse That Sleeps
by ZangetsuFlare
Summary: Aurora was not the only one placed under a curse by Maleficent that day. Six years after the two kingdoms are united by Aurora and Maleficent the fragile truce is at breaking point, while the curse still haunts them both. Malora
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Crimson lips whispered her name softly as they slowly descended. Aurora jolted back to reality just as those delicious lips finally claimed her own. Shifting on her cold throne of white gold studded with glittering rubies, the young woman sighed deeply and tried to look attentive to the tedious weekly run down of the expenditure of the castle and its grounds. For months now, the Queen had been conjuring up this day dream in her spare moments between lethargy-inducing meetings with her governors and retainers. Lately her mind had seemed to wander more and more, and tired after a long day of fulfilling her duties as monarch, she could hardly wait to be alone with her thoughts.

Six years had passed since she had first met face-to face with her guardian fairy. Six years since the curse had been lifted by the one who had placed it, and yet she longed to travel back to that moment; the moment those lips had altered her fate. At the age of 22, the golden-haired Queen wondered how true love was supposed to feel. She had always loved her protector, however these feelings had gradually matured into something else entirely. Images of the chestnut-haired fairy had begun to creep into her mind unbidden, until now the very though of her was enough to produce a desire so profound that she often thought she would go crazy. The cabin fever from being isolated in a fortress amongst a bunch of war-mongering old men was bad enough after the wild freedom of the Moors.

Signing the last of the financial documents placed before her, the young woman dipped a short curtsey to the members of her council before bidding them goodnight. Finally able to put an end to matters for the day, she made her way through the drafty stone corridors towards her private chambers. They were comfortably furnished but could not come close to the experience sleeping in the arms of an ancient tree wrapped in the inky blanket of the night sky. And the strong wings of a beautiful fairy…

Flopping down on her soft bed piled high with embroidered goose-feather pillows, the golden-haired girl turned her head to gaze beyond the leaded stained glass window bearing the design of a white lily. She had been naïve to think that the humans would forget their suspicions and coexist with the folk of the Moors so easily after her father's death, not to mention past failures to conquer the enchanted lands. Her plan to split her time equally between the two kingdoms when she first donned the crown had rapidly disintegrated and it had now been months since she had last been able to visit her Godmother and her friend Diaval. She wished she could return to her home in the Moors beyond the oppressive walls, however her vow to keep the two kingdoms united was tested increasingly as the resources of the human lands were consumed by the ever expanding population. Growing numbers of her council were adamant that the Moors could provide all that the country required to keep their coffers filled.

To the North lay King Phillip's domain; while their most important trading partner, her friend's kingdom also boasted a mighty army that could not be matched with whom there was an amicable alliance not in anyone's interest to break. The lands far to the South and the West were rich in untapped resources, but were out of reach due to natural obstacles such as towering mountain ranges and wide raging rivers, making the Moors just on the doorstep an easy target in comparison. While she knew that she had to find a solution to feed and house her subjects, Aurora was unwilling to allow humans to invade and ravage the peaceful Moors. It was never they who had needed ruling, but the humans who had declared war upon the Moors repeatedly. She would have abdicated long ago, but she knew that she was all that stood between the effectively autonomous Moor-folk and the destruction of their habitat for the sake of human greed. It was clear to her that the only way to keep the truce was to keep humans far away from the enchanted land to the East and its ethereal denizens; a task that was fast becoming impossible. It seemed that she faced more opposition with every day that passed. She was almost at the point of asking Maleficent to raise the wall of thorns between the borders once more, but this would certainly be interpreted as an act of aggression by those looking for an excuse to take up arms against the Moors once more.

Dispelling these sobering thoughts, Aurora wished that Maleficent was with her. The first time she had returned to the Moors after being stuck in the castle for a solid seven months, her longest stretch yet at the age of 20, the girl had realized how achingly beautiful the dark fairy was. The humans were so plain and drab in comparison to the denizens of the Moors, but not even a single one of them could ever hope to compare to their powerful protector. Aurora had become bewitched by her for the second time. Hardly able to tear her eyes away from the older woman, the two walked had towards the lakes with Diaval gliding in their wake. Maleficent wore a rare smile as they talked, and the golden-haired girl thought how much more alive the woman looked with her chestnut hair flowing freely about her shoulders. She had said as much to the fairy, who had replied somewhat shyly, "only thanks to you, Beastie. You made me whole again."

Aurora had felt a powerful rush of warmth to her heart at those words. While she always felt a gentle warmth and happiness when she was with her Godmother, this was a sensation she had never experienced so strongly before. Looking at Maleficent in surprise, her wide blue eyes had met those golden-green orbs and another wave of heat surged through her. The girl had blushed fiercely, and quickly broken eye contact to hide her face behind a screen of golden locks. Maleficent gave Aurora a curious glance before continuing to tread the path in silence, while the younger woman fell slightly behind as she tried to get a hold of her thoughts and dispel the redness suffusing her cheeks.

It had taken a while for Aurora to realize exactly what these new sensations meant. She had been far too nervous and embarrassed to mention anything to her Godmother or to Diaval. It was only when she was parted from the beautiful fairy and had retuned to the castle that she discovered a longing had entered her being in place of that heady warmth that Maleficent's company brought, and she finally began to have her suspicions. After a few weeks, she eventually summoned the courage to bring up the subject of attraction to her lady in waiting. Assuming that the Queen could only be referring to Prince Phillip as he still was at the time and who visited fairly regularly, the maid had happily talked with her monarch of love and romance.

"These feelings are definitely love? They are completely normal?" Aurora had questioned anxiously. "Of course they are, My Lady, and may I say what a wonderful couple you and the Prince will make!" squealed the delighted maid.

Taken completely by surprise, Aurora blurted out "Philip? No, I don't-"

"We all thought it such a shame when we heard that he hadn't been the one to break the curse" the portly woman had tutted as she folded the Queen's clothes into an oak chest of drawers. "It would have been so romantic. But it has all worked out fine now with the two of you in love."

"Wait, what do you mean he wasn't the one to break the curse? I was told by the pixies that his kiss had woken me."

"Ah, well, that's not quite true My Lady. I'm not quite sure how you still don't know after all this time, but I don't see the harm in telling you now that it's all worked out. He did kiss you for sure, but it wasn't him, more's the pity. It was the witch, Maleficent, even though the whole nasty business was her fault. The pixies tried to keep it quiet in case it harmed your chances of true love with the Prince you see. No, it was Maleficent's kiss that woke you, though how it could be true love between two women is beyond me." The maid sniffed and continued her chores, all the while chatting on about royal weddings and babies oblivious to the fact that her Queen had gone completely silent in thought.

After a moment, Aurora asked slowly, "Is no such thing as a woman falling in love with another woman, then?"

"Of course not!" Snorted the lady in waiting. "Now, true love between a Prince and a Queen is exactly as it should be. Don't you worry my dear, it was just more of that witch's trickery in my opinion."

The young woman had never questioned before precisely how her curse had been broken, and had understood only that the Prince had been responsible. Her adoptive aunts had prattled on about something to do with the magic of Princes' kisses. She had never been too bothered, and had been far too busy to spend much time thinking about it once she had expressed her gratitude to Phillip, as it now turned out, erroneously. But the fact that it had been Maleficent was a total revelation to her, and only served to intensify her feelings towards the woman and colour her fantasies. The assertion of the maid that a woman could not feel romantic love another woman was quickly discarded; it could not be anything else. But it had cast a shadow of doubt in her mind as to whether the dark fairy would ever reciprocate the girl's feelings, she was like a daughter to Maleficent. But, the maid had said that it was true love's kiss after all. Was it so far fetched that the fairy could possibly feel something more? Aurora had no desire to lose her godmother and fear of how the fairy may react caused her keep her emotions hidden. But still she clung onto the slim hope that maybe Maleficent could feel the same way.

Two years later in the present, Aurora was still no closer to discovering Maleficent's true feelings. This was mostly due to the growing discontent within her council that had kept her away from the Moors, coupled with the required trips to meet with King Phillip in the neighboring kingdom to continue to foster the new alliance between the two lands. Though the horned fairy did come to see Aurora from time to time, the visits were always brief due to the wariness of the humans, and the fact that Maleficent herself had not entirely recovered from her betrayal at the hands of men and was still largely distrustful. Often when she visited, she would fly above the clouds towards the castle, cutting through the air to land gracefully upon Aurora's balcony effectively avoiding interacting with any other human.

Aurora shifted her gaze from the window towards the open doors leading out onto the balcony. If only Maleficent would come to see her tonight. The moon was out and only a few wisps of cloud glided past the starry sky. The girl let her imagination wander as she began to doze. In her mind's eye, the fairy would swoop out of the night sky like a dark angel. Aurora would not hear her soft tread as she entered the room, but instead become aware of her presence as the wild fragrance of fruit and sap drifted over the harsh smell of stone and metal. Then the golden-haired girl would turn and meet the gaze of her protector just beyond doorway. The golden-green eyes would hold her captive as Maleficent whispered "Hello, Beastie" before striding purposefully across the room. The space between them would disappear as the fairy wrapped her arms tightly around Aurora before kissing her deeply.

As the Queen drifted off to sleep, she didn't hear the arrival of a midnight black bird, who glided skillfully through the balcony doors to perch upon the chest of drawers. Seeing that the girl was already abed, the raven stretched his wings before settling down for the night. The morning would be interesting; Diaval had a plan.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Diaval had once briefly entertained the notion that one day perhaps there could be something between himself and Maleficent. But despite completing every task she set, even allowing himself to be transformed into a loathsome canine, nothing he did seemed to be able to lift the darkness that engulfed her heart. She thought only of revenge, and when the fairy had cursed an innocent infant, the raven-man had thought she had passed beyond the brink of no return and any good in her was lost forever. At first the dark fairy had not even considered the enormity of what she had done to the child, so consumed by hate was she, and for weeks had taken a twisted pleasure at the thought of what she had done to even the score with King Stefan. He had taken her precious wings; she had taken his daughter.

Her spiteful glee was only interrupted by the piercing shriek of a crying creature just beyond her impenetrable wall of thorns. She had tried to ignore it at first, but soon gave in and sent Diaval to discover what was making the frightful noise. The raven-man had returned with a surprising report, the source was none other than the human infant that Maleficent had cursed. Two days had passed, and still the wailing of the creature continued and could be heard for miles around. Eventually Maleficent could stand it no more, and rose from her skeletal throne of tree limbs out of annoyance, determined to put an end to the racket one way or another.

To begin with, the fairy was irked that the pixies had chosen to bring the caterwauling creature so close to the Moors, and to bring the King's daughter to live almost on Maleficent's doorstep after the curse was downright absurd, unless they planned on torturing her with the constant crying. But the pixies had never been too bright, and were clearly only interested in being as close as they could be to their old home to raise the child than considering what a stupid choice of location it was. To make matters worse, the three buffoons were woefully inept at even managing the simplest of tasks such as feeding and clothing the little beast. Sick of the incessant screaming of the starving baby, Maleficent had ordered Diaval to feed it, if only to shut it up for a few hours. The raven was greatly relieved, he had been afraid that Maleficent would silence the baby for good, or else let her starve to death. Not only that, his sensitive hearing had begun to suffer too and the peace and quiet was a welcome balm.

Curiosity gradually overcame the dark fairy. She had never seen a human child before, and stole to the window of the dilapidated cottage one night to take a look at the creature she had both cursed and saved. It was then that Diaval began to notice a change in the woman. She would take to wandering the paths close to the cottage, under the pretext of healing some damaged plant or other. As time passed and the baby became a toddler, the fairy spent more and more time teasing the pixies for amusement, although the raven was not fooled. The fairy would never admit it, but she was fascinated by the girl, by her innocent wonder at all about her. This could only be a good thing Diaval knew, as without Maleficent's keen attention the child would certainly have perished on several occasions. But every time she saved the girl from injury or death, the woman became gradually more attached to the "Beastie". And so, with painstaking slowness the tortured fairy began to change. She began to surface from her despair bit by painstaking bit.

As Aurora became a young adult, she wondered more and more what lay beyond the thorny barrier. Her love of nature remained, and Maleficent saw something of her younger self in the girl, a self who was free from betrayal and hate. Finally unable to remain a silent observer, the fairy gave in to her inquisitiveness and decided test the girl by taking her into the Moors. The Beastie had reacted exactly as she had hoped, and was enthralled at the enchanted world around her. Revealing herself at last, Maleficent and Aurora began their close relationship in earnest.

As the golden-haired girl spent her nights in the Moors, Diaval could see the happiness with which Maleficent would show her new wonders and new Moor-folk to wonder at and play with. The girl always had a delighted grin on her face and it was contagious. The raven-man himself felt his heart become lighter, and almost fell from his perch cawing in surprise when a small smile first appeared upon Maleficent's normally blank features.

As time passed, Diaval often thought that he was easy to forget, a small black creature perched in the shadowy branches, or gliding overhead out of sight. Or perhaps it was just that the two were so engrossed in one another that they were simply in another world together. It was then that Diaval realized that the horned woman barely looked at him. Her golden-green eyes had become focused on one being alone; the girl that she had so cruelly cursed. How ironic that the dark fairy was being saved by the one who she had consigned to a miserable fate out of pure malice against her father. Of course Maleficent would never admit that she was happy to Diaval, she was quite adept at hiding her true emotions after all she had suffered. But going unnoticed had it's advantages; the raven saw everything that passed between them as time passed, the stolen glances when they thought the other wasn't looking, or the small sighs after they parted. And Maleficent could not hide the golden gleam in her eyes when she heard the girl calling for her each evening.

But after Aurora had discovered from the pixies that her father was alive and that she had been cursed by none other than Maleficent herself, Diaval had seen the anguish writhe within the dark fairy, shattering the fragile heart that had slowly begun to heal. Afraid of what would become of Maleficent if the curse was fulfilled, the raven-man had done his utmost to find the Prince whom Aurora had befriended and raced the fairy to the castle. When the Prince had failed to break the curse, Diaval had given up hope of the girl being awoken and had hung his head in defeat. But even as he stared gloomily at the floor, Maleficent had gone to stand beside the unconscious Princess. He held his breath as the horned woman poured out her feelings to the girl, and then his eyes widened in excitement as the fairy bent to kiss Aurora on the forehead and it dawned on him that Maleficent was the one to break the curse she had placed.

Following the fierce battle to escape the castle and the death of the object of Maleficent's hatred, the raven had hoped that the fairy could continue to heal, especially with the return of the wings so viciously stolen from her. But it seemed that the final hurdle had not yet been overcome. Although Aurora had returned to live in the Moors with Maleficent, the older woman was still wracked by guilt at the pain she had caused, and begged Aurora for forgiveness. Of course, the golden-haired girl had immediately forgiven her with a beaming smile, but still a sadness lingered within Maleficent.

Aurora was crowned the Queen and protector of both the kingdoms and the two seemed to recover their close relationship. And so it took a while for Diaval to figure out why his mistress could still be unable to move on despite Aurora's unconditional forgiveness. That is until one day flying high over the tree tops, he spied the fairy standing upon the edge of a small rise with a spectacular view of the Moors. Swooping skillfully between the branches to land upon the top of Maleficent's staff, he cawed gently in greeting. Expecting the usual command of "into a man", Diaval turned his head to look at the fairy questioningly. Her eyes were a dark green, and focused intently on something below. Surprised at her behavior, the raven swiveled his head to look over the rise and immediately he understood.

Partially hidden by the trees, glimpses of a blue cloak and golden hair flickered between the trees. Prince Phillip and Aurora strolled along the path towards a small pond, chatting with each other as they walked. Maleficent spread her wings suddenly and shot into the sky before the two came fully into view. Diaval squawked in surprise as he was sent tumbling from the top of the fairy's staff as she rose rapidly into the air, and with a few beats from her strong brown wings she vanished into the distance. Landing sprawled in the dust, the bird clacked his beak in annoyance, before shaking his feathers off, and leaping into the air himself. He saw no sign of Maleficent, who he knew by her reaction must think that the Prince and her Beastie would fall in love. Wheeling about in the air, the bird hovered on the thermals as he observed the figures still by the pond below carefully.

Aurora and Philip talked idly but nothing more. There was none of the electricity between them as there was between the girl and Maleficent. He caught a few wistful glances from the Prince, but Aurora was much more interested in the water nymphs that splashed and leaped through the sky blue water of the pond. Diaval had been observing Aurora and Maleficent together for many months now, and he was absolutely sure by the girl's behavior that her heart belonged only to the fairy.

But Maleficent would not be convinced. She refused to believe that she deserved the love of a pure being such as Aurora after all that she had done, despite Diaval's protests that the girl truly cared for her. She was much better with a human Prince to take care of her, the fairy stubbornly insisted. Once again, it seemed that there was nothing that Diaval could do to break the grip of this new darkness. Maleficent slowly began to withdraw back into herself and to make matters worse, the burden of Aurora's crown and responsibilities to her new realm began pull her away from the Moors. Although Aurora was the same happy girl and Maleficent was more like her happier self whenever she was able to come back and spend time with her in the Moors, once she had left, sadness returned to smother the dark fairy once more. Then, whispers reached the Moor-folk of an engagement between a royal couple. Hearing this news, Maleficent would wander alone at night, refusing even the company of her faithful raven friend. Although the rumors tuned out to be greatly exaggerated, Diaval decided that he needed to take matters into his own hands before the Queen's advisors did find the golden-haired girl a suitor to marry "the sake of the kingdom" or some other nonsense. It was clear as day to him how the two felt about one another, but it seemed that fear and guilt on Maleficent's part, and obliviousness and duty upon Aurora's would continue to keep them apart unless he took action.

The raven soared through the twilight blanketing the Moors, skillfully riding the breeze as he spied his destination ahead. The castle rose out of the gloom like a stone behemoth, lanterns glittering in the windows like so many twinkling eyes. Circling the huge building as he descended, he located the young Queen's balcony and glided into the room.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N – Thank you to everyone taking the time to read this fic, I hope you are enjoying it. And most importantly, a HUGE thank you to everyone who has left me a review, your thoughts are all very welcome and appreciated :)

* * *

Chapter 3

The bird rose early out of habit and just after dawn had spent several minutes trying to wake the young Queen, first by crowing softly in her ears, and then by hopping up and down on her shoulders to no avail as she hugged her pillow. 'There's a reason they called her Sleeping Beauty'_,_ he reminded himself. It seemed as though the girl would snooze till mid morning, and the raven was anxious to get back to the Moors before he was missed by Maleficent. Cawing more loudly, Diaval resorted to a quick peck on the arm.

A strange pinching sensation gradually drew Aurora from her dreams, and through the fog of sleep she became aware of a small weight bouncing up and down upon her shoulder blades. With each bounce there came a needling in her back, and rolling onto her back, the girl dislodged the weight to the accompanying flap of black feathers.

"Diaval!" She exclaimed excitedly after pushing stray golden strands of hair from her face as the raven fluttered back onto her knees still buried under the covers. "What are you doing here so early?" she asked, stroking the bird's silky plumage.

Cocking his head wryly, Diaval eyed the sun which by now was well on its way into the sky. 'Not so early anymore', he thought. A brief flap of his wings propelled him back onto the oaken chest where he retrieved a crumpled piece of green material in his claws and deposited it in Aurora's lap, crowing encouragingly.

Carefully picking up and rolling it out flat, the Queen saw that it was a large sycamore leaf with a badly scrawled message upon it. "A note, for me?" the girl questioned as Diaval clacked his beak and nodded proudly.

Trying not to squint too much as she read least she offend the raven, Aurora attempted to decipher the markings which appeared to have been made using the end of a burnt twig. After a couple of minutes, the girl managed to make out 'Meet at cottidge too night' with a stick figure of a man scrawled beneath. "Oh, you want me to meet you tonight at the old cottage? You'll be in your human form?" she clarified. The bird leaped into the air and flew around Aurora's head cawing happily, which she took to mean yes. Smiling, the girl praised, "I didn't know you could read and write Diaval, clever bird!"

The raven puffed out his little chest. It had taken him hours to write the note, even in his human form. He had learned a little of letters and how to draw them from Maleficent who was one of the few Moor-folk who could read and write thanks to books that King Stefan had brought her when she was young. She had of course destroyed them all in a fury of green flame a few years ago, but had taught Diaval in order to have him spy on the goings on in the castle more effectively. While he was far from literate, it was enough for Diaval to pick out key words to get the gist of the King's correspondence with other kingdoms and report back to Maleficent. This, however was the raven-man's first attempt at writing himself, and was extremely proud of his accomplishment.

"Is everything alright? Is Maleficent ok?" Aurora asked, the smile slipping for a moment and worry crept into her voice. Diaval nodded slowly and gave a quiet caw. "That's a relief. Whatever it is must be quite important for you to come all the way here with a note for me." The smile began to return. "Well, you can tell me all about it later. I have a meeting with my council this morning" the girl said as she glanced out of the window to check the position of the sun. "I will let them know that I have some urgent business to attend to in the Moors. They shouldn't need me here for a week or so, and it's been so long since I was back there. They can hardly refuse."

Diaval spread his wings and chirped in farewell as he flew back out of the window and soared into the cloudless sky, heading back for the Moors.

Climbing out of bed, the girl placed the leaf note onto the top of her bedside drawers before getting ready for the day. Catching a glimpse of herself in the large ornate mirror, so noticed that she had a wider smile than usual on her face. She was going to see Maleficent! And spend some time with Diaval too. She practically danced down the stairs and into the meeting chamber, and received some incredulous stares from her council in the process, especially from her surly Captain of the Guard.

Once the general business of the meeting was taken care of, Aurora brought up her planned visit to the Moors. There were no objections, but she was reminded that King Phillip would be visiting with his retinue for two weeks in 8 days' time, and her presence would be required. She confirmed to the gathered men that she would indeed be back in time to receive the King and make him welcome. The matter settled, the golden-haired girl returned to her quarters and called for her lady in waiting to assist her in getting ready to leave.

* * *

Back downstairs in the meeting chamber, three council members remained seated together at one end of the long table, discussing a private matter in hushed tones.

"This timing is perfect. We can put everything into place without worrying about Her Majesty finding out," whispered the Captain of the Guard as he scratched his stubble.

"Yes, with Queen Aurora away it falls to us to act on her behalf. We can authorize this without question," agreed an older man with a long beard flecked with grey who had served as King Stefan's closest advisor.

"We'll be ready for the outcome, whatever it may be, as soon as she returns," commented the Keeper of the Treasury, a thin, slimy looking man with a bulbous nose.

"I suggest we meet again to finalize our plans once we receive word that King Phillip has set off," said the advisor pushing back his heavy iron chair as he stood. "Good day, gentlemen." With that, the three councilors went about their business for the day.

* * *

The evening sky was hidden by a thick layer of cloud, making progress slower for Aurora and her royal guard of six burly men mounted on noble white steeds. They were some of the finest knights in the kingdom and each carried a spear with a short sword hanging at their sides encased in brown leather scabbards. Despite her protests several years ago that she did not need protection, her council insisted that she be accompanied by trained fighters wherever she went. She had initially felt stifled by the constant company each time she made a trip to the Moors, but now had given up arguing for the sake of peace. She rode in the center of her guard on a pure white mare named Kiyohime with the clothes and essentials she would need for her short stay in a small saddle bag.

Soon, the roof and chimney of the cottage came into view above the treetops and only the sound of horses' hooves plodding along the hard ground broke silence of the clearing in the woods. The girl's pixie aunts had long since abandoned the building to return to their beloved Moors now that she had grown up. Her childhood home stood empty, except for the times when she passed back through the area on her way to the Moors. Here her guard would stay until she was ready to leave, for although she may need protection on the way as the world of men could be treacherous, Aurora had made it clear that she certainly did not require any guards once over the border and her councilors had begrudgingly agreed. Maleficent was all the protector she needed, and there were always the capable wood sentinels who patrolled the enchanted land day and night.

Dismounting Kiyohime, Aurora made her way up the path and pulled the heavy wooden door of the cottage open. As she did so, a dark shadow peeled away from the edge of the trees, and stealthily slipped through the door behind the girl skillfully without drawing the attention of the guards who were busy unsaddling their mounts. Lighting the lantern she always left on the small table by the door, the Queen shuffled through the dark building lighting the others, flooding the place with a cozy glow. Returning to the kitchen, she started in surprise then immediately beamed when she saw Diaval now in his human form perched smugly upon a chair at the table. After Maleficent had shifted him out of his raven form to hear his report of the general goings on in the Moors and beyond, he had requested to remain in his human form for a while longer under the pretext that the water nymphs were teaching him to swim in the lakes.

"That must be a new record" the girl laughed as she placed the flickering lantern onto the table throwing shadows against the walls. "Last time you only got past four of them!"

"It was five actually," came the soft lilting voice. "Six is a new record though. Next time you should bring eight guards, and see if I can't get by all of them too." Diaval smiled and stood to embrace the golden-haired girl in a tight hug.

"I've missed you, Diaval," Aurora said sincerely. "It's been far too long since I could last visit you all. How is she?" The girl looked into the raven-man's dark somber eyes.

"I've missed you too, Aurora. Maleficent misses you most of all though." Sitting back down, Diaval bade the girl do the same. "She's the reason I asked you to come here tonight. Things are….not going well for her right now. I must be honest with you Aurora, because nothing I can say to her makes a difference. She heard you may be engaged a few months ago and well, I think she is scared of losing you but she won't open up to me. I'm afraid that some of her old darkness is returning, and I'm powerless to help." The raven-man hung his head slightly while Aurora's eyebrows rose in consternation.

"I am not engaged," she quickly interjected, "it was just a silly rumor about Phillip and I started by maids with nothing better to do than gossip. I wish that I could be with her all of the time, but my duties….Oh Diaval, I'm causing her pain aren't I? And she's the last person in the world I want to hurt, I care about her so much. Please tell me what I can do to help."

"Aurora, do you love her?" Diaval asked quietly.

Aurora was caught off guard for only a split second before replying confidently. "Yes, I do. She saved me, she's watched over me all my life. How could I not?"

Diaval leaned forward eagerly; he had to make sure he was right. "Yes, that is clear for all to see. But I am asking, are you _in love_ with her? Do you desire her?"

Aurora's face reddened at the question; she was not used to Diaval being so blunt with her, especially about her innermost feelings. She pictured the beautiful dark fairy, and her crimson lips and immediately felt that surge of breath-taking warmth throughout her body. There was nothing more certain. "Yes," she admitted aloud for the first time, awaiting Diaval's response anxiously.

Throwing himself energetically backwards into his chair and lifting the front two feet from the ground, Diaval allowed himself to grin. He'd been right all along, and now the two of them just needed a shove in the right direction. And he was more than willing to do the pushing if it meant these two could find happiness at last. "That's what I'd hoped you'd say" he beamed and Aurora let out the breath she had been holding in relief. A thousand terrible 'what ifs' had flashed through her mind? She had been afraid that Diaval would tell her what she felt was wrong, or that both he and Maleficent would despise her for her strange feelings.

"Perhaps I shouldn't be saying this, but if things don't change soon we may lose Maleficent to her despair. Aurora, don't get your hopes up too much just yet, but I think that she feels the same way about you." Diaval grasped the girl's hands as her mouth hung open slightly in a mixture of surprise and excitement. His words had sent a jolt though her heart, and her eyes shone eagerly. "Do you really think she might? That would be…I would be…Could she really feel the same? I didn't dare hope…" The girl's hands shook slightly in the bird-man's gentle grip.

"As I say, I can't know for sure. You know how good she is at hiding her emotions. She has locked them away deep inside. The trouble is getting her to admit it, and she certainly won't to me. She refuses to believe that se deserves anyone's love, least of all yours. You're the only one that can get her true feelings out of her and your love may save her yet again."

"But you still aren't completely sure," Aurora frowned, "what if you are wrong, what if she doesn't and she rejects me? What if she thinks my love for her is unnatural, just like my lady in waiting believes? I couldn't bear to lose her. I'd rather her never know how I feel than face that." The girl sat back uneasily and Diaval released her hands. "I think I need to sleep on this and think of a way around this in the morning when I'm not so tired."

After a moment of quiet thought, a grin spread back over the raven-man's features. "I think I have a way we can find out without you having to do a thing…."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_She will indeed grow to be beautiful and beloved by all_. Maleficent had not realized it at the time, but she had cursed herself with those words as well as the human child. _Beloved by all._ Even herself. She had been robbed of her wings and her independence, Stephan had shattered her trust and tainted her with vile human corruption. And in doing so he had become King, and wounded her further by marrying the daughter of the belligerent old monarch. She had tried to hate the baby, who only existed as a result of Stephan's betrayal. The infant represented to Maleficent everything she had lost; innocence, a carefree life, and her ability to love. And so she had cast a perpetual shadow over the child's life just as Stephan had over hers.

Then slowly over the years, the curse had begun to work on her too. She did not know at which point the girl had become so important to her. She knew she should stay away, but she could not seem to manage long before giving in to temptation. The dark fairy would despise herself for her weakness. How many times had she saved the life of the very symbol of Stephan's treachery? But soon Maleficent came to loathe herself instead for what she had done to the girl, the girl who was nothing like her father or any other human that she had met. She had made the most terrible of mistakes, and still could not tear herself away from that bright smile and those joyful sapphire eyes; being around Aurora had become a drug to Maleficent. For a while, she managed to forget the appalling fate she had placed upon her and began to enjoy the evenings they spent together in the otherworldly Moors.

The girl was overly affectionate which to begin with had made things uncomfortable for Maleficent. The first time the girl had pulled her into a hug, not being used to physical contact, the dark fairy had sent the girl to sleep out of sheer panic with a swirl of golden smoke. This of course had entertained Diaval to no end. Hiding her embarrassment from the raven, Maleficent had gently lowered the girl to the ground before bringing her around. Aurora was highly confused to find herself suddenly sitting in the grass a good few yards away. "You tripped" Maleficent stated with an uncharacteristically shifty look on her beautiful face. Diaval opened his mouth, but his human form was suddenly melted away and replaced with his true raven self, who cawed loudly in annoyance. Maleficent herself turned hurriedly and began to stride rapidly away, leaving the girl still sitting in bewilderment. "-but"

"Come Aurora, you will miss your chance to see the sprites if you sit there all day."

"Alright, Godmother" realizing it was no use, she sighed resignedly pulling herself to her feet and bounded after the fairy.

The girl became ever more affectionate with her godmother, insisting on a hug before she returned to sleep back at the cottage where she was raised. At first she hesitated, but Maleficent found it difficult to refuse Aurora anything. She gingerly allowed the golden-haired girl to gently wrap her arms around her, nuzzling her head beneath the taller fairy's chin. Maleficent for the first time in 16 years felt the warmth return to heart at this simple act of tenderness. Her eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected reaction to the girl's embrace. Before she could process the unfamiliar feelings, Aurora spoke gently. "Goodnight, Godmother." Stepping away, the girl made her way back down the path to the cottage, turning to give a somewhat dumbfounded Maleficent a sunny smile before disappearing inside.

Returning to the drafty stone ruin she now resided in, Maleficent sent Diaval to observe the goings on at the castle to give herself space to think. She had been sure that she would never feel this way again, that her heart had been broken beyond repair. The next evening when Maleficent took the girl back home after an entertaining but extremely messy mud fight with the Moor-folk, Aurora again pulled the dark fairy into an embrace. This time Maleficent was prepared for the sudden rush of warm, and a small smile crept onto her face as she held the girl close. Diaval in human form quirked a brow as the hug lasted a little longer than was usual, but remained silent. Aurora bade her farewells to them both, with an extra bright smile for the fairy as she retired for the night.

Maleficent felt as close to being happy as she had been in over a decade, but with the glow that came from Aurora being close, returned the guilt of what she had done in full force. Waiting until the girl was asleep, she had tried to revoke her curse. She had tried with all of her heart and soul to take back that grim fate, but she had failed. And so disquiet filled her newly healed heart, with the knowledge that she must tell the girl what terrible thing she had done so long ago. There was nothing she wouldn't do for Aurora, to keep her safe, but she could not protect her from her own words uttered 16 years in the past.

So she had thought. She had braved the lethal iron maze to enter the castle with the Prince, not caring for her own safety. But when the plan for the Prince to wake the girl had failed she had been distraught. She had lost the girl that had allowed her to love again, and it was her own fault. The guilt and the heartbreak had overwhelmed her, and she longed for the girl to open her blue eyes and embrace her once more. For the first time, she had expressed her love for Aurora and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. She could not believe her eyes when he girl sat up with a smile, and in that moment she vowed to protect Aurora for the rest of time. She had given her heart to the girl and belonged to her entirely.

Things had seemed well a first when they had returned to the Moors after surviving the ordeal at the castle. She had hoped that with Aurora as the bridge between the humans and the Moor-folk, there would be an end to the conflict between the two lands. Not only that, but an end to the conflict within her own heart. The guilt still gnawed away at her, but with time she hoped that it would fade away a little more with each bright smile from the girl she loved. But, a different kind of emotion began to rear its head within her. Aurora still seemed to enjoy the company of the Prince, and the two would often walk together through the serene Moors. Each time she saw them, an unexplainable jealously flared inside Maleficent. It seemed to reach out and drag her back into her darker past self, and she loathed it. He was a human male, and they had only ever taken away the things she loved. And she was so afraid that her precious Beastie would be taken from her too. The thought was more than she could bear, but she was powerless to do anything; Aurora was a grown woman, with the right to keep the company of whomever she chose. She was a Princess, and he a Prince, this was how things were supposed to be. Prince Phillip was always polite and nothing less than charming whenever he spoke to Maleficent, but each time the fairy saw that handsome face she would wonder how long she would have to suffer his presence within the Moors.

It did not take long for the fairy to realize the extent of her feelings for Aurora. It dawned on her one day while she flew above the treetops of the Moors, the one thing that was untainted and that she could fully lose herself in and enjoy. As she glided over the lakes, she spotted the Prince and Aurora strolling under the leafy canopy towards the water. The two seemed so wrapped up in each other, talking animatedly. Scowling, Maleficent landed on top of a nearby rise and observed the couple. They made there way over towards where the water nymphs leaped and cart wheeled through the glimmering water droplets, laughing at the antics of the Moor-folk. One of the nymphs leaped from the pond and somersaulting mid-air, landed with a large splash, sending water flying over the Prince and the Princess as they passed close by. Drawing out a crimson handkerchief, Phillip reached across and gently dried the water from Aurora's cheek, who blushed faintly at the contact.

The jealousy surged once more, and Maleficent found herself growing angry, her eyes darkening. Who was this man, to take so much of Aurora's attention? He had been entirely impotent when the golden-haired beauty had been under the curse. He had not been the one to wake her; his pathetic kiss had done nothing. And yet his reward was to spend many hours with Aurora, time with her that he had stolen from Maleficent. And now it seemed that he was stealing the girl's heart. The fairy felt sadness vie for place with resentment. It should be her who was at Aurora's side, her who knew how it felt to kiss those delicate lips that looked so soft and warm. She raised her fingers to her own lips, closing her eyes as she imagined how the girl's would feel against her own. And then she realized. Everything clicked together like a jigsaw slotting into place. Her golden-green eyes snapped open as it struck her clear as day. She was _in love_ with Aurora. She desired her, she longed to be able to touch her tenderly the way the Prince had. Her brows knit together in sadness as she understood that what she wished for could never be. Aurora had _him_. They were meant to be together, and it seemed that was what Aurora wanted.

Their laughter drifted up to Maleficent on the breeze, and her eyes dimmed. She did not deserve the love of the girl after all that she had done, and even though she now understood why she so despised the Prince, she knew that she would be better off with him. Still, she could not stand him being in the Moors, she could not stand the sight of him with Aurora a second longer. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she had not noticed the arrival of Diaval, who had alighted on top of her staff. Desiring nothing more than to leave as fast as possible, she beat her powerful wings and sent the poor bird falling headlong into the bushes. Flying as fast as she could as though trying to outrun her own despair, a tear streamed down her cheek as she made not for her home in the tree, but instead for the shadowy ruins. The fairy began to spend more time amongst the crumbling stone, retreating a little further inside her self and her old darkness each day.

She saw Aurora less frequently, despite the girl's requests for her company. A sorrow crept into the golden-hared girl's eyes on the occasions that they did spend together, and Maleficent knew that she was the cause. She hated herself for it, but could not bring herself to shake off the despair that clung to her. Then over time, Aurora found that she had increasingly less time to spend in the Moors with the fairy and her raven friend. Her duties became greater and the human lands pulled her away, leaving Maleficent to wallow in her sadness as the years passed.

One dismal evening, the fairy sat at the gaping hole of a window in the drafty ruin, looking wistfully out in the direction of the castle. Diaval swooped down through the gap without warning to land within the structure, startling the woman out of her reverie. Cawing loudly, the bird hopped impatiently from foot to foot as the fairy below stirred and golden-green eyes transfixed him.

"Into a man."

Hopping down from the pile of broken bricks, the raven-man spoke with grave seriousness. "There's something you need to see."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Landing in a swirl of leaves and feathers, Maleficent drew a sharp breath as she saw what awaited her at the foot of her tree. Aurora lay upon the grass as though in a deep sleep, the light of the moon causing her flowing hair to shine silver. Diving down through the branches of the ancient tree, the bird flapped pitch black wings as strong claws bit into a thick branch above his mistresses' head.

"Into a man. What is she doing here?" she demanded of Diaval in a low whisper.

"I cannot wake her," replied the man in complete seriousness, as he swung his legs over the edge of the branch.

Shooting her companion a suspicious look, Maleficent reluctantly stepped closer to the motionless girl. "If this is some kind of game Diaval…" she warned.

Barely restraining a smile, the dark-haired man replied. "I would rather not spend the rest of my days as a worm. I found her like this at the border and had one of the wood sentinels carry her to the safety of your tree, knowing that you would have the answer."

Reaching Aurora's side, the graceful fairy crouched over the girl. First she gave her a tentative prod with the end of a slender finger, and then began shaking her gently by the shoulders. "Beastie, wake up. Beastie." Searching the girl's face for a response, Maleficent couldn't help but drink in the sublime features of the girl and the fairy's emerald green eyes flickered gold almost imperceptibly. Receiving no sign of life, Maleficent gingerly placed an ear to the girl's chest, careful not to let her sharp horns come too close. As she listened for a heart beat, the woman found that not only was Aurora's heart beating, but it's rhythm was faster than normal and appeared to be picking up speed the longer she listened.

Aurora squinted through one eye, and seeing that Maleficent was preoccupied, took the opportunity to give Diaval a cheeky wink, before snapping her blue eyes shut just as the concerned fairy raised her horned head. "Has she been poisoned somehow? Could she have suffered a blow to the head? Whoever has done this will pay!"

Interrupting his mistress before the worst possible scenarios could be played out and the dark wrath of the fairy was awakened, the raven hurriedly interjected "she is certainly asleep, I have found no sign of poisoning and no evidence of any injury." Diaval adopted an air of total innocence before continuing, "could it be that the curse has returned and true love's kiss is needed once more?"

Casting worried eyes back over the sleeping girl's face, Maleficent frowned. "No, it can't be. Once a curse is broken, it is done with indefinitely." She had to believe that, she could not bear the thought that her past anger and spite causing any further harm to her precious Beastie.

"Well, what's the harm in trying?" the man-raven coaxed, "a quick kiss can't possibly hurt when it's worked before."

Aurora, listening intently to the conversation, thought that Diaval was being a little obvious and waited with baited breath for the fairy to catch on. But Maleficent appeared to be too preoccupied to notice.

"What's the harm indeed…"Maleficent whispered, more to herself than her companion. Aurora was infinitely more beautiful than she remembered; it had been months since she'd been so close to her. The girl had truly blossomed in the six years since the curse had first been lifted. All of the feelings Maleficent had experienced back then as she stood over the younger Aurora returned with full force and more, and her eyes were drawn slowly towards the girl's rosy lips. She swallowed as the desire to claim them rose within her, and just as quickly the fairy forced them back deep down inside. There was great danger for her in a kiss. Instead, she contented herself with gently caressing Aurora's soft cheek with a shapely thumb. She shook her head, it could never be; much as she longed for the girl to be hers, she had that Prince, a human like herself, to care for her now. She abruptly pulled away from the girl and repeated with slightly less conviction, "it cannot be the curse."

"What's wrong?" Diaval teased, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you were afraid. We both know how you really feel…" He was thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to put one over upon Maleficent as she had so often amused herself by toying with others, himself included. And it was for her own good, after all.

"This has nothing to do with feelings, whether real or imagined," she glared at the raven-man, eyes flashing a darker shade of green.

Disregarding the danger signs and leaning forward so far he nearly fell from the branch Diaval insisted, "then rule the curse out completely, for Aurora's sake!"

"Enough of your nagging!" Scowling, Maleficent hissed as golden-green flames flickered over her hands, "into a bird". The raven cawed almost mockingly as he flapped into the branches higher up for a better view, knowing he had finally persuaded the fairy. Maleficent never could say no when it came to Aurora's wellbeing.

Ignoring the antics of the bird, Maleficent turned her attention back to the sleeping beauty. She did want to kiss her. So badly. 'Just do it and get it over with quickly, just a small kiss to silence that sorry excuse of a bird,' she convinced herself. She held her breath a moment before leaning down and gently placing her lips on the girl's forehead as she had in the castle six years ago.

Aurora's eyes almost fluttered open as she felt the older woman's warm lips against her skin if only for a second. Her heart had leaped in response to their touch, and her cheeks colored as she fought to keep her emotions under control lest she ruin the plan. She was determined that her eyes would only open to Maleficent's genuine true love's kiss.

Forcing herself to withdraw her lips immediately as they touched the young woman, Maleficent observed the girl's features, noting that she still appeared to be asleep but also that her cheeks were now a rosy red. Quirking a brow, the protector of the Moors observed Aurora carefully. "Was my kiss not good enough to wake you this time, Beastie?"

Aurora could not help but let her lips twitch into a faint smile at the fairy's words, but quickly assumed her vacant expression. Missing nothing, Maleficent felt a tiny ember of hope kindle within her chest; could it be that Aurora wanted her to….? She would have to find out. "I wonder what will wake you then…" She quickly turned her face upwards to Diaval's perch, a half exasperated look on her face. Startled for a moment, the raven ruffled his feathers anxiously as he realized the game was up, before leaping into the air with a loud caw to circle the treetops above. With any luck his mistress wouldn't think too badly of him later.

The fairy sighed again and resumed stroking the girl's cheek. "If you really won't wake up, you'll leave me no choice." As she spoke, the fairy lowered her head again, this time stopping with her lips inches away from the Queen's, watching closely for a reaction.

As Maleficent's sweet breath softly caressed her lips, the air caught in Aurora's throat as she felt as though her heart would burst. She had been right all this time, her feelings for the fairy were real. She froze in anticipation, silently begging for the fairy to do as she had longed ever since she had discovered how her curse had been broken.

"Are you sure, Beastie?" Maleficent whispered. She did not dare to think about what she was about to do in case fear and doubt overcame her once more. Then she would never know how her true love really felt. The girl was clearly only pretending to be asleep and had not made any effort to move away. Her cheeks appeared to have darkened further. Decision finally made, Maleficent paused to take in the girl's beauty once more before slowly placing her crimson lips upon rose ones. The feeling was incredible, and the fairy had never dared to hope that her heart was capable of feeling so much as the ember burst into flame and coursed through her veins.

Aurora's eyes snapped open as Maleficent's lips met her own, before slowly closing once more as she lost herself in the kiss, her body seeming to thrum with electricity. The experience was so much more than she had ever imagined, and she could not help but deepen the kiss, feeling Maleficent respond to her desire. After a few minutes, the need for air forced the two women to part their lips for a moment. They both stared at each other breathlessly, Maleficent's wide eyes shining pure gold and Aurora's sparkling sapphire. Then Aurora smiled the brightest smile she ever had and sitting up, wrapped her arms around the fairy, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Beastie," was all that Maleficent could manage as the girl held her closer.

"I'm so glad I got to feel what true love's kiss is like, Maleficent," Aurora whispered earnestly into the fairy's dark locks, "and I'm so glad that it's you."

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Maleficent felt all of the pain and fear melt away to be replaced with complete unbridled joy. Finding her precious Beastie's lips once more, the fairy folded her wings around them both.

Above the trees, a raven looped the loop in the air.

* * *

**A/N - Thanks to everyone for sticking with this fic, I hope the Malora was worth the wait. Thanks again for all of your reviews****, let me know what you think**!

**Still more to come, so watch this space :)**


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